Siddha Swami
What is a Siddha Swami?
You may have heard of the word or name – Swami.
A Swami is a renunciate, a person who has renounced the world and become a “monk”.
Literally it means someone who has transcended the ego – swa (give up or surrender), me (myself).
So Swami is really about a person’s attributes & not what cloth they wear.
A Swami (traditionally in Hinduism), wears red or similar colour robes, signifying a body and mind
that is being “burnt up” by the fire of renunciation.
The word Siddha the means perfected being or with one with powers.
Therefore the Siddha Swami is one who is the spiritualy enlightened being with some power or
abilities (preferably to enable the transformation of others) , & not one who has merely attained
dome yogic state or power.
A true guru is a Sat (true or only one), Guru (teacher). A Perfected Teacher, who is a Divine being as
one who has reached the state of oneness with the Divinity, (sometimes known as God).
Some see this sort of human incarnation as being in the form of Jesus, as God become human, or in
the form of Buddha, a human being made perfect by his own endeavour as one who has entered the
state of Nirvana. Nirvana or Moksha is a state of both enlightenment & freedom (from birth &
death).
Some see such a one as their own teacher of whatever spiritual path or religion they have chosen
In India there are many holy persons who practice austerity & penance, meditate and follow a
variety of spiritual paths, while garbed as a Swami. There are quite a few who are seen as Siddhas by
their devotees, & a number who are very big internationally.
Some of these beings attain that goal they seek and become perfected including in the eyes of their
followers, without necessarily presenting in a monastic role or environment. They are considered
perfected in the eyes of their adherents whatever religion, country, & role they manifest & present.
All such beings can teach humanity to not just be “ordinary”, but also to strive to attain the same
place where they sit. A place of divine state of awareness
Siddhas teach that any of us can and should attain a state of spiritual perfection whilst remaining in
the human condition.
The caveat is that the Siddha is more than & dominates any Swami role. Therefore the soul that has
that Siddha power & ability, and is in the enlightened domain, does not need to follow the typical
practice or external presentation of a Swami
One who has achieved that state quite naturally is in renunciation mode,and is not swayed by the
external world- particularly by desire, greed & lust. Therefore that soul does not need to wear red,
as the fire burns fiercely inside.
He or she can be in any predicament or situation or country or lifestyle or role in the external world.
The Siddha being transcends the external world, which is seen Maya.
Sanskrit word Maya means illusory or transient or temporary, in terms of the world which as a
place of delusion and dream.
But the Siddha is like a swan on the water floating and staying dry. In Sanskrit this is known as a
Param Hansa (Great Swan). That is to say the one who's in the world but not in the world - just
floating on & above it. Still a human beings but with a certain supreme spiritual attainment. This
does not deny the reality that the person who achieves may have been previously a so-called
“ordinary” human being, & is also one who still has the potential to present as an ordinary human
being.
It is considered in Hinduism that the human birth is the place where one has potential to achieve
what is called Nirvana or Moksha, & thus the final birth - with freedom from the bondage of endless
cycles of birth and death.
This human life thus has spiritual meaning when used for all endeavours to transcending the human
condition even though humanistic service orientated endeavours are also seen as uplifting &
beneficial.
Other religions even if not acknowledging or agreeing with this philosophy and perspective still
exhort us to use our lifespan for spiritual and religious purpose.
A born-again person is deemed to rebirth into a spiritual world, whilst still experiencing and
journeying through the physical and mental spheres.
There are of course certain activities and practices that have to be followed if one is to attain the
highest goal whilst travelling in the world. Spiritual endeavour & practice is required.
There are of course certain conditions and circumstances that are required to achieve progress on
the spiritual pro-path
Next I here describe the areas of practice that I have found both necessary and beneficial based on
information gleaned in my ten years as a monk in India, and on a further 30 years study and practice
in the way of the Siddha Swami.
This way is based on Siddha Yoga, Tantric pathways, kundalini yoga, western and eastern religious
and spiritual practices, the worship of a personal deity or God, and the realities of life experience in
the human world.
It is a personal summary provided to assist any person on the spiritual path where possible
There is no content which is entirely new - it's being more of a “personal recipe”!
There are also many texts books and sources of information available to anyone who wishes to study
in depth the topics touched on.
Therefore I am essentially describing my own spiritual adventure and progress in terms of what I
have experienced studied and learnt.
This writing also connects backwards to the books and documents about my experience as a monk,
and after this connects forwards to further documents planned in continuation of the theme of
seeking and practising the path towards one's own spiritual goals.
The Components of the Siddha path
One
A guru - the true guru or Sat Guru
A human connection is usually needed to facilitate easily access the Divine (as the inner soul or the
external deity), and the true guru manifests energy 9by grace). This enables the journey to proceed.
For some this guru is the teacher who has moved on from human life (i.e. dead)! What remains is a
significant force, as in one such as Jesus or the Buddha.
For others this being is someone who is still here and whom they still follow and receive instruction
from. For others an amalgamation of a number of teachers is experienced. For others guidance
comes from within - an inner teacher or a force that seems to be external.
The Siddha embodies a human based form of Divinity, but some will talk to God or other “angelic” or
similar manifestation through an Inner Voice mechanism, that does the work of Guru & guidance for
that individual.
The guru is “one who dispels darkness” (by adding Gu to Ru, where Gu means darkness), which is the
centre core function of a Siddha
Maybe not totally, or maybe in some areas, (in the case of a “partial” Siddha with power & ability to
a limited extent), the energy siught will be that which is needed for the guidance of the individual at
a particular time.
Therefore there may be several teachers who each guide in way their own specific and special way.
There is always a lineage of some sort except in the case of exceptional teachers who seem to
materialise out of nowhere for the sake of the century or multiple centuries.
Either way or whatever the scenario, turning a human to the divine makes the guide process work so
much more spontaneously and effectively if the one who seeks has an understanding of the guru
function & purpose. The divine or divine perfection or even some minor Siddhis powers, or even
material gain (if one seeks this), are more accessible with the receipt of the guru grace to diel
”darkness”, (i.e. negativity, stuckness, & even gloom & despair).
Even if you want to learn a trade or get a degree or make some money, there is always a need for a
guide/ teacher
Two
In the path of the Siddha there is a need to understand the spirit force that flows through the body
In the traditional meditation on kundalini, this energy is seen as coiled at the base of the spine like
a serpent and it arises to pass through certain centres or chakras throughout the body.
This energy is also known as a form of Shakti (power or energy), and is an energy manifested in the
human form which has significant connection and contexts with the Goddess powers within the
Hindu domain and within some forms of Buddhism.
The awakening of the kundalini is also connected directly with the Sat guru because it is the guru
who can bestow Shakti Paat, (kind of a beaming out of power which awakens another person’s
kundilini). This is a key Siddhi of the Sidda guru. With this “power shower” to awaken the source,
one can awaken directly kundalini to rise up through the chakras and beyond the final chakra in the
crown of the head.
Otherwise personal experience of this energy may be problematic because there may be traumatic
issues involved in the passage of this energy through the chakras, where this is awoken with
direction, guidance & oversight. (Would a student doctor perform complex surgery?)
However whatever scenario is involved, once practice takes place, the attainment of divine
realisation through kudalini yoga requires full attenuation of awareness and perfected management
to experience the kundalini energy in only positive & beneficial ways.
Three
In Sanskrit spiritual practice is called Sadhana. This is necessary to enable the practice of going
within to flourish. It is also necessary to practice some seeking of the divine force as manifested
externally.
There are many views of what God is or how the higher power, the divine spiritual being can be
attained.
Religions are many and there are many single or multiple options are available for the spiritual
practitioner to choose from. But one needs to not just to choose some way, but to get actively
moving along ones chosen path.
Some say you must follow only one path only or one way. In reality many people follow different
paths at different times in their lives. It does seem logical to keep on one focused way, but then
human life is not always logical.
People also change their religion.
However what is advisable is to have guide, so that whatever paths/s are taken, they can be
followed with some certainty just as if one has one has a map to read
It is somewhat similar to treating disease. The correct medication has to be found and sometimes it
is necessary to change or adjust medication and the dosage. Therefore it is not uncommon to have
more than one spiritual teacher or to change or move on from a particular teaching.
So what is best-what works via for you as long as you do the practice.
Within spiritual practice there is also need to adopt specific methods that is that work for each
unique individual. One travels paths, but one also uses different means to attain movement. A car, a
horse, a camel! What form of meditation or specific type of yoga will a personal adopt?
One could ask a similar question in Christianity -will it be Methodist or Catholic or some other?
The traditional path of the Siddha Marg (path), in Hinduism, has been to use the power of the
kundalini and of mantras (sacred word or sounds). In this Dark Age the repetition (japa) of the
chosen mantra is deemed to be the easiest way to obtain spiritual power and focus for selfrealisation.
Japa is repetition of a mantra whereas dhyana is meditation on what that mantra means. It is a
distilled form of a complex chant or prayer & a simple form that can be repeated at any time silently
mentally, verbally, or on even on a subtler levels.
(See additional section about this use of mantra to attain siddhi, & all aspects of spiritual knowledge.
Four
The force not often mentioned is that is that of life experience
Without life in our experience we do not exist & we do not get to achieve some of our desires nor do
we partake of spiritual paths. Also human lives seem to present us with lessons and a means to
move from gross experience of the body mind to subtler levels.
There is a powerful spiritual force behind our life if we accept the challenge of our problems,
including mental disorders, addictions, relationship and psychological problems, & the whole gamut
of what can seem “just insane”. if we deal with life as it is and allow teachers in we can also move
through and find a purposeful momentum or motivation to walk the spiritual path.
Everything can have purpose for our spiritual destiny, even whatever seems bad or desperate. What
is seemingly devoid of any credit may also have its purpose, or may produce a lesson. To learn about
what is painful is a start.
Not all knowledge necessarily comes from good things & nor understanding from doing what is right.
the whole area of life passages is the subject of multiple books and other media that is available in
the field of “self-help” or “personal growth” etc. The personal journeys it is a very popular subject
and there are many bestsellers in this field. People want to deal with their lives and become happy
or at least not be unhappy, (sooner or later!).
I have written about my own experience of life as it has connects me further to deeper into my
spiritual search and practice
Iin summary the Siddha Swami is a beacon for the path to both God and and to perfected
development of the human purpose. The Siddha Swami is a representative of the divine, and the
Siddha path is a way set for us by the lineages and the numbers of Siddhas who have made
themselves servants to our spiritual development.
Gurus have their differing level of ability, but all present us with something that meets our need at
particular times. They can present as a fairly ordinary persons also, but there will be a profound
depth of is of spiritual practice and knowledge radiating from some inner enlightenment. That will
shine and be a core more powerful than any external practice or monasticism. This is about life here
but about transcending it.
Off - floating above the sea of life- the Param Hansa.